Friday Favorites - Toddler Art Supplies

Art activities are one of Rowen and I's favorite things to do together.  I loved art as a kid (and I still do) so I try to do as much art with her as I can!  Aside from your regular crayons, coloring books, stickers, etc, I thought I'd share with you my favorite art supplies for toddlers!  These are items we use that are fairly inexpensive, good quality, low mess and would be great gifts for any toddler! Check it out...

1/ Melissa and Doug No Spill Paint Cups and Paint Brushes - Melissa and Doug is one of my favorite brands for kids.  Everything is so well made and these no spill paint cups and brushes are terrific!  I swear, no matter how many times they tip over, they don't spill!  The paint brushes fit perfectly inside the cup and color coordinate so that she isn't mixing paint colors all the time.

2/ IKEA PRICKAR Bib - Technically, I think this is supposed to be used as a feeding bib, but we use it as an art smock.  I love that it's made of waterproof material and has long sleeves to protect her clothes from getting messy during art activities.  

3/ Dollar Tree Dough - AKA imitation Playdoh.  Don't get me wrong, I love Playdoh, I think it's fun, but the quality of it (it doesn't keep very long) and the smell really got to me after awhile.  Then I found Dough at my local Dollar Tree!  In my opinion, Dough keeps longer, doesn't smell (as bad) and is half the price!  I highly recommend it!

4/ Craft Pom Poms - We use pom poms in a lot of our art activities.  Rowen loves to glue them to paper, sort them into cups, and use them in sensory play.  Definitely a staple item in our art bin!

5/ Pipe Cleaners - Another staple item!  It's amazing how many craft activities you can find online that use pipe cleaners!  Rowen's favorite way to use them is to string them with beads!

6/ Melissa and Doug Bead Bundle - Speaking of beads, the beads by Melissa and Doug are wonderful!  Rowen is actually getting this particular set as a "big sister" gift when the baby is born.  I love that the beads are big enough for her little hands to use (hello fine motor skills), and help serve as a quiet activity when I need a little bit of a break! 

7/ Melissa and Doug Animal Stamp Set -  We were gifted this set of stamps at Christmas and Rowen is quite fond of it!  She loves to use the ink pad and give herself stamps as well as stamp on every coloring book she owns!

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Friday Favorites with:  A Little Bit of Everything, Momfessionals, Grace and Love

Toddler Favorites: Springtime 2015

It's Friday again that means more "Friday Favorites".  Last week I showed you some of my favorite items to use with toddlers in the kitchen, and this week I'm posting about five of my favorite Springtime items for toddlers!  Check it out...

1/  Princess GardeningGloves – I bought these at Menards a couple of months ago.  They fit my daughter’s tiny hands perfectly and will come in handy this spring when we start planting our flowers!

2/ Kite – Before this Spring, I hadn't flown a kite in probably 15+ years.  We actually bought this exact Cinderella kite (at the Dollar Store) last year for Rowen's Easter basket, but never even thought to use it until this year.  She absolutely loves it!

3/ Jumping Beans Casual Sequin Shoe – My daughter’s feet have grown like crazy since last summer so about a month ago I set out to find some decently priced shoes she could run around in this Spring.  I came home with these adorable, sequin shoes.  I love that the colors go with everything, too!

4/ Magic Grow Capsules – Rowen received these in her Easter basket from a family member and is fascinated by them! Perfect indoor or outdoor activity!  

5/ Marshmallow Fruit Salad – Love making this in the Springtime!  It’s so good + Rowen loves it and is an easy way to get some fruit down her throat (after she picks out the marshmallows, of course).

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Oh Hey Friday with: September Farm & The Farmer's Wife

Friday Favorites with: Momfessionals Little Bit of Everything & Grace and Love

Five on Friday with:  A. Liz Adventures Carolina Charm Hello! Happiness and The Good Life

Friday Favorites: Toddler Kitchen Items

If you've been reading my blog, you know it’s pretty common for me to talk about my “favorites” when it comes to anything baby/toddler!  So far I've covered “favorites” on the following toddler/baby topics… books, diaper bags contents, cold and flu season, iPad, and new mom favorites.  I want to keep going with these types of posts because they seem to generate quite a bit of interest.  I've decided to dedicate posts on Fridays to my “favorites” on a variety of topics concerning toddler/baby/kids, and since today is Friday, I’m kicking it off with toddler favorites in the kitchen!  Take a look…

1/ Re-play Divided Plates
First off, I love Re-play products because everything is made from recycled materials!  With high ridges and deep sections, these plates hold the perfect amount of food!  They are durable, wash up nicely in the dishwasher and best of all stack nicely inside my kitchen cupboards!  These are the only plates my daughter uses - we love them! (BPA free)

2/ Re-play Bowls
In addition to the divided plates, we also use the bowls! (BPA free)

3/ Zak Designs 2-pc. Flatware Set
The only utensils my daughter uses!  I like them because they are very similar to adult utensils in length, but still have handles big enough for little hands to easily grip (the cute characters are just an added bonus)!  (BPA free)

4/ IKEA KALAS Tumbler 
These cups are awesome!  They are the perfect size for a toddler just learning to drink out of a cup without a lid.  Love the bright colors, too!  (BPA free)

5/ IKEA ORDENTLIG Place Mat
The entire family uses these place mats!  I love that they are plastic and easy to wash (perfect for messy toddlers), but still look decorative enough to dress up a table at dinner time!

6/ Munchkin Snack Catcher
We purchased these when Rowen was just learning to walk and have been using them ever since!  They are perfect for snacks on the go.  I love that the lids keep her snacks from spilling all over my carpet, too!  (BPA free)

7/ Tommee Tippee Explora Bibs
By far my favorite bib for both babies and toddlers!  My favorite thing about these bibs are that they are SO easy to wash and can be hung to dry!  I also love that they are made from a very durable plastic material that can be rolled up to take on the go!  (BPA free)

8/ Fisher Price Healthy Care Delux Booster Seat
Since Rowen is still a bit short for our kitchen table she uses a booster seat.  I like this one because it has a removable tray!  It's very easy to set up and put away and cleans with just the wipe of a wet cloth!

9/ Boon Grass Drying Rack 
We have had this since day one with Rowen.  At first we used it to dry her bottles, then we used it for sippy cups and now we use it for everything - even our own dishes!  After almost three years it's still as good as new - zero complaints here!  (BPA free)

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